Automatic kneeling device



y 1951 A. FEINSON" 2,551,661

AUTOMATIC KNEELING DEVICE Filed May 27, 1949 I I I 35 (/35! INVENTOR. 30 A161??? FEM JON ATTOENEYE Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in kneeling benches designed for the convenience of worshippers at church services.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a kneeling bench of simple but rugged construction.

Another object is the provision of a kneeling bench in which maintenance costs have been materially decreased over known types.

A further object is the creation of a kneeling bench so designed that it is fully automatic whereby the meditation of the worshipper is undisturbed.

Other objects of the instant invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of these objectives, the kneeling bench is formed with a pivotally mounted horizontal member designed to be swung downwardly for use and automatically swung upwardly to a position under the pew immediately in front when not in use. Spiral springs so commonly used in similar devices and so frequently broken have been eliminated in favor of a torsional member which under the most rigorous tests has given troublefree operation over long periods of time.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing by way of example a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the kneeling bench constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the kneeling bench shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the torque mechanism automatically returning the kneeling bench to the unused position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along l.-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, reference numeral Ill indicates the swingably mounted kneeling board, and it the torque mechanism for automatically maintaining the board in the unused position.

The horizontal kneeling board Ill, provided if I floor supports l2 spaced parallel and fastened to. the floor by any known means through the vertical openings l3 and I4. Each support I2 is con-, stituted of a base from which there is extended upwardly at the front a receptacle [5 and at the back a receptacle [6. It will be noted (Fig. 2) that, the back receptacle l6 extends above the front receptacle l5 and both are partially open at the front to permit the following described leg members l1 and I8 to be swung forwardly and downwardly when attached in the receptacles l5. and 16 by any suitable pivotal mounting means. At the top of the receptacle It; at the back and in the front, a portion of the receptacle is designed for the insertion of a resilient member H! which acts as a stop for the back leg member [8'- when released to move upwardly automatically to the position of non-use (Figure 2) as soon as pressure is removed from the board II].

The front leg member I!- and the back leg member 13 in each support 12 flare outwardlyand upwardly as shown in Figure 2. The back leg member l8 differs from the front leg I! in that at the bottom of the, back leg and at the back there is provided a surface portion 20 which coacts with the previously mentioned resilient mem-. ber H] to permit the kneeling board Ill to be returned silently to the position of non-use. Also on the back leg member I8 but at the top and back is an inwardly directed flange 2| for the attachment of a cross member 23 by the screws 22 passed through aligned openings in the flange and member 23 and secured on the front thereof by a plate 24 into which the screws 22 are threaded.

The front and back leg members at the top are pivotally attached to similar transverse supports I9 by known pivot pins 29a through aligned open: ings in spaced downwardly extended ears integral-v ly formed on the ends of the transverse member I9 as illustrated in Figure 2. The latter may be fastened to the bottom surface of the kneeling board It, by any known fastener 25.

Also extending downwardly from the kneeling.- r board I 0 are one or more similar legs 26 fastened to the bottom surface thereof in any known manner and in the bottom of which is a rubber stop 21 or the like so that the board It is brought to rest without noise in the down position.

The torque mechanism l l for automatically maintaining the kneeling board II] in the upright position consists of three parts: An anchor 28, a torque wire 29, and a torque adjusting mechanism 39 as most clearly shown in Figure 3.

The anchor 23 is formed with a base member 3| attached through openings in the ends by the screws 32 inserted therethrough and screwed into the bottom of the kneeling board It). In the downwardly extended end of the anchor 28 (Fig: 3) is a transverse slot 33 and in the base a similar slot 34 for securing one end of the following described torque wire 29.

The torque wire 29 is made from any suitable spring steel and is turned upwardly (Fig. 3), after being inserted in the slot 33 and thence inwardly through the slot 34 so that the end of the wire is made stationary.

The torque adjusting mechanism consists of the spaced parallel brackets 35 and 36 which are fastened to the front of the cross member 23 by the screws 31. At the bottom, the brackets are turned inwardly (Fig. 4) for fitting under the lower edge of the cross member 23 which has been found to facilitate the installation. Along the opposed edges of the spaced brackets 35 and 36 are similar outwardly turned flanges 38 and 39 through which aligned circular openings have been formed for the support of a rotatable hub 40. Around the circular openings are aligned circumferentially spaced openings. The hub 40 is a cylindrical member with constricted ends (Fig. 3) rotatably inserted in the previously mentioned circular openings in the flanges 38 and 39 of the brackets. The enlarged cylindrical central portion 4| of the hub 40 is formed with the spaced parallel slots 42 (Fig. 4) which when aligned with the circumferentially spaced coacting openings in the flanges of the brackets permit the insertion of a pin 43 between the brackets and along one of the slots 42 which prevents the hub 40 from rotating until the pin 43 is removed. In both of the constricted ends of the hub 40 is a longitudinal slot terminating in a transverse slot to accommodate the free end of the torque wire 29. Of course, a similar torque wire and another anchor 28 may be engaged in a similar manner with the opposite end of the torque adjusting mechanism where the kneeling bench is of sufficient length to require the additional member. By this mechanism, both ends of the torque wire 29 are anchored, one end to the bottom of the kneeling board I 0 and the opposite end to the front of the cross member 23. With the previously mentioned pin 43 removed and provided with a suitable tool for engaging the slots 42 of the hub 40, the torque wire 29 may be placed under torsional stress as desired and the pin 43 reinserted.

The operation with subject kneeling bench is as follows:

Assume that the device has been installed in the opening under the seat of one pew for the use of the occupants in the pew immediately in back of the first mentioned pew, and that the kneeling board I9 is in the unused position as shown by Figure 2. At the point in the services for kneeling, one or more of the pew occupants moves the kneeling board downwardly and outwardly to the kneeling position. The start of the downward movement may be with the hand and completed with the knee. The similar leg members 26 in the down position are in contact with the floor so that a substantial weight may be placed on the board I 0 with safety. During the downward movement, the torque wire 29 will have a torsional stress imparted thereto, both ends being stationary on different surfaces rotating relative to each other and the adjusting mechanism 30 moving in a plane at right angles to the center line of the wire 29 the torsional stress of the wire causing the horizontal member to resume the original position of non-use. Hence, the board In will remain in the down position until the pressure of the last knee is removed when under the torsional stress in the wire 29, the kneeling board Ill will swing upwardly to the position of non-use under the seat of the pew in front. The surface portion 29 in the back leg l8 coacting with the resilient member I9 will bring the device to the upright position without noise.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact disclosure herein described but may lend itself to a variety of expressions within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a kneeling bench for church pews, the bench having a horizontal kneeling member supported from the floor in front of the pew by at least one pair of leg members, one end of each leg member being pivotally attached to the horizontal member and the opposite end pivotally attached to the floor, and a cross member disposed between the leg members adjacent the bottom surface of the horizontal member, the leg members rotating the horizontal member from a kneeling position adjacent the floor and pew upwardly from the floor and forwardly of the pew through substantially to a non-use position; the improvement comprising torque means for automatically returning the horizontal member from the kneeling position to the non-use position, the torque means comprising a torque wire, one end of the wire being anchored on one end of the horizontal member with the free end of the wire anchored on the cross member adjacent the opposite end of the horizontal member, the wire being under torsional stress in the kneeling position of the horizontal member.

2. In a kneeling bench for church pews, the bench having a horizontal kneeling member pivotally supported in front of a pew by front and back leg members pivotally secured to the floor, the pivotal connections between the horizontal member and the legs being adapted to rotate relative to the horizontal member when the position of the kneeling bench is changed, and a cross member disposed between the back leg members adjacent the bottom surface of the horizontal member; the improvement comprising a torque anchor disposed on the bottom surface of the horizontal kneeling member at one end, and torque adjustment mechanism disposed on the cross member adjacent the opposite end of the horizontal member, the torque anchor having slots formed in both ends, the slots being directed toward the torque adjustment mechanism, said mechanism comprising a pair of spaced parallel brackets transversely disposed on the cross member, the brackets having forwardly extended flanges, the flanges havim aligned circular openings and circumferentially spaced and aligned openings around the circular openings, a cylindrical hub with constricted ends rotatably supported by the flan es, the constricted ends of the hub protruding through the circular openings, the cylindrical hub between the flanges having spaced longitudinal slots formed therearound, the slots being aligned with the circumferentially spaced openings in the flanges, the constricted end of the hub protruding through the circular opening in the flange on the side of the anchor having formed thereon a longitudinal slot terminating in a transverse slot, a torque wire disposed between the anchor and the torque adjusting mechanism, one end of the wire coacting with the slots in the 5 anchor and the opposite end coacting with the slot in the protruding end of the hub, and a pin coasting with the slots in the portion of the hub between the flanges and the circumferentially spaced openings in the flanges.

ALBERT FEINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Marie May 3, 1932 Knight Sept. 21, 1937 Bernhard Feb. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France June 27, 1928 

